Off to Great Places in Cartagena de Indias

“You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.” The Places You’ll Go, Dr. Seuss

We arrived promptly at el Museo del Naval de Carib at 1:15 where we met Irsis, our English-speaking guide from the previous day. It was he who had suggested that we take the city tour which included several of the scenic sights in this phenomenal port city. Plus he could offer it at 20% off the price quoted to us by a previous vendor. So, after having a complimentary coffee that was heavily sugared, we departed through one of the gates in the city’s walls to meet the bus which would be our chariot for the remainder of the day.

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away.” Ibid.

We were greatly pleased when we saw our tour bus painted in gaudy colors with Bob Marley and the Wailers blaring out of the open sides; it was nothing so much as a rolling Sesame Street colored boom box. Firmly ensconced in our open aired seats we departed, taking a jaunt around the Parque Centenario en route to barrio Bocagrande, the richest barrio in this city of 1.2 million built along the powdery white sand beach of Cartagena’s harbor. As we tootled around collecting the rest of the paid passengers we gawked at the shops, many similar to tony venues in the States. With our full complement of lookie-loos we turned towards our first destination of the day, the waterfront at the city’s marina. Colombia’s navy and army maintain bases in the port area while, in the commercial area, the gantry cranes stand ready to on or off load containerized cargos from ocean-going transports. Small parks abutting the malecon appear in less congested areas. Berthing privileges are also extended to the massive cruise liners that make ports-of-call in Cartagena. To our chagrin, we observed their disgorged passengers as they followed their leader’s standard literally blocking the city’s narrow streets like a flock of demented goslings.

“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So … Get on your way!” Ibid.

Our next stop, and the main reason we had joined the tour, was a visit to the Cerro de Popa which would allow us an elevated view of the city, the harbor, the scattered islands and the waterways that enveloped the old walled city of Cartagena. The name literally means Convent of the Stern referring to the similarity between the 492-foot hillock and the back end of a ship. Perched at the top and overlooking the city with its white walls reflecting the sun’s rays is a picturesque colonial church (circa 1611) and a convent.

We learned that during the early years of the colony, around 1535, a clandestine shrine existed upon the hill which was used by the indigenous inhabitants and African slaves to worship the deity Buziriaco, which, history records, resembled a goat. Legend has it that an Augustinian priest received, in a dream, an order from the Virgin Mary to erect a monastery on the site. Having traveled to the hill of La Popa the padre discovered the goat shrine and promptly pitched it down the mount. This must have come as an immense relief to the indigenous Indians and black slaves, as normal retribution for such sacrilege by the Spanish involved nasty torture or hideous death and, on a bad day, both. Pitching the goat shrine down the hill was bupkis.

Ultimately, the ride to the top of the mountain was more memorable for the grinding of gears and the acrid odor of charred motor oil issuing from the antiquated engine of our glitzy boom-box bus than the Convent itself but inside was housed a memorable, dazzling altar encrusted in 22-carat gold leaf – a rather impressive upgrade from the now defunct Buziriaco goat shrine.

We made two more stops prior to the finale, the first presented an absolutely impressive venue, the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas which we decided deserved another more lengthy visit and a later post all its own and the second stop to a sculpture of a pair of high-top sneakers that had little visual or historic note which we hereby omit.

“Things may happen and often do to people as brainy and footsy as you.”, Ibid.

Our chariot came to its last stop in front of the old Officers’ Quarters, later converted into a prison and now in a revitalized iteration as a Latinized mini-strip mall. Approximately twenty small tiendas selling Colombian handicrafts, a combination of beautifully worked goods and shoddy souvenirs, were housed in the stuccoed and gaily painted barracks. During the half hour we were allotted, we wandered through six or seven shops before selecting a bolsa, a cloth bag, in black with a brightly colored embroidered and appliqued red parrot on the front to use as a packing organizer.

“Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left. And, will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)”, Ibid.

And so, five hours later and $36 lighter we were dropped off on a side street inside the walled city. We perambulated over to what has become one of our favorite eateries, Ilsabe, for a pleasant meal and emerged after dark to stroll the narrow streets decorated for the holidays, the lights in gay profusion from balconies, statues and enormous Christmas trees that decorated almost every park and plaza. It was a wonderful way to end a raucous and informative day in the city by the sea.

We are indebted to Dr. Seuss, ne: Theodore Gisselle, for his marvelous creation The Places You’ll Go, published January 22, 1990 by Random House Publishing Co. While it was the last book he was to write it was the first book that truly inspired us in our visions of travel.

You two certainly discover a lot of ‘odd’ monuments. Dr. Suess is an all time favorite. It’s crazy how many of his lines can dance through my head at different times. I love the was you incorporated him into the post!

Dr. Seuss is one of our favorite writers (which proves a part of you never gets old!) and we had fun using some of his lines in this post. As for odd monuments, it’s great to see the areas that are big tourist draws but it’s also cool to find some of the off-the beaten-path places.

Dr. Seuss is soooooo inspiring isn’t he?!
The Places You’ll Go is absolutely one of my favourite books of all time too –
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes You can steer yourself any direction you choose”, as you did here in Cartagena! 😀

It’s funny you should pick that particular line to quote as we included it in our “About Us” profile as our travel and life philosophy. After years of following the “normal” path of family,home and work we’re having a blast figuring out which direction(s) we want to explore.

So glad you enjoyed joining us on our bus ride. As for the sneakers sculpture … I have no idea why this was included in the tour (maybe a photo opportunity?) although Richard really enjoyed the brownie he bought at a school bake sale nearby!

If you only have a day or two to visit Cartagena then this is the tour for you! It hits the high points and and gives a great overview of the city. And, of course, then you have to walk around the picturesque walled city, too!

Riding the bus around the city was a lot of fun and the music was a hoot! Since we’ve been in Cartagena during the high season the enormous groups of tours have been hard to avoid and sometimes, difficult to navigate around!

Thanks Michele. The bus tour was quite comprehensive and a great value. It’s always fun to learn about some of the local legends and the story of the deity, Buziriaco, caught our attention as well as our imaginations!

Ah, Cartagena, one of the cities I would love to return to! A tour in a Chiva (name of these open buses) sounds like a good way to see the sights. Though: Cartagena is save enough to stroll the streets on your own, at least during the busier hours into mid evening. And there are so many cute colonial houses to discover, plus a good number of public art pieces…

We can see why you’d like a return visit to Cartagena. It’s one of the prettiest cities we’ve been to in Latin America with its colorful colonial architecture and the statues and sculptures set in the parks and public plazas. Love it!

Cruise ships dock here regularly and this is a city that would be at the top of my list to see if I were a passenger. The city tour bus would be a fun adventure for a group and and a good chance to experience some of the high points of the city.

We usually try to avoid big tours if we’re going to be in a place for any length of time but who could resist the bus?! Seriously, it was a terrific way to get a feel for the city and the price was reasonable.

It’s always helpful to see a city from above and the panoramic view from the Hill of La Popa was interesting with the fabulous historic old city, the modern skyscrapers of Bocagrande and the urban sprawl. Except for a slight haze it was a great way to see how the city was laid out.

A rolling Sesame Street colored boom box…disgorged passengers following their leader like a flock of demented goslings…oh Dr. Seuss would love your descriptions. Thanks for the great tour and the chuckles. I really enjoy your sense of raucous humor.

So glad you liked this post and that you it made you chuckle! Sometimes we try to top each other with our descriptions! The tour was a fun way to get an overview of the city and then decide what we might want to spend more time revisiting later. And the good music was a bonus!

Our list keeps getting longer as we read blogs and research cities and countries and I imagine the same is true for you. We have a few more posts on Cartagena scheduled (stay tuned!) and then we’ll also be hitting the road again.

Enjoyed your blog and I remember that shopping area (previous prison) from our trip there. How fun seeing something I remember. Looks like a fun time. Be safe and enjoy the travels. We passed our halfway point in Gorgona and time is flying by. Thanks for the Cartagena memories!!!
Suzi

It’s fun to be reading a book or a post and recognize a description or a picture isn’t it? I always get a feeling of excitement and “Wow, I’ve been there!” The old barracks/former prison was a great pace just to browse and people watch. Once your visit to Gorgona is finished you’ll have a great time exploring the rest of Panama! Anita